InetPix goes to Washington D.C

It was a pleasure to visit our Nation's Capitol.
And imagine my delight finding handy illustrations right on the
back of the money in my wallet! It would appear that the tree on
the right of the White House has grown a bit.

The Hertz NeverLost System

Well worth the $6/day in entertainment value if
not functionality, this nifty little talking GPS gadget, was like
having HAL in your car giving directions. Or I should qualify
this to say, like HAL after Dave began yanking boards off his
backplane.

The color LCD display did a decent job of
indicating what road you were on and how far away from your next
turn you were. It did occasionally get confused and indicate that
the car was apparently driving through rivers, across on-ramps
and other oddities.

Don't throw out your paper maps just yet...

The Mall

Time didn't allow any museum visits, but a quick
jaunt around the Capitol mall was entertaining.

The Jefferson Memorial was quite
picturesque with the Tidal Pool in front.

The Lincoln Memorial looked just like on
the penny! Abe looks
on while crack teams of rangers deal
with the hordes. The Gettysburg
address is carved into one side of the wall and the
Emancipation Proclamation is carved in the other. Looking
from the Lincoln Memorial affords a nice view of the
Washington Monument in the reflecting pool.

Just a few minutes from the Lincoln
Memorial is the Vietnam
Veteran's Memorial. On the way one passes several MIA
souvenir/protest stands.
After passing these stands one comes across a statue and several
glass encased directories.
It was sombering to see the names of so many young people
killed. There were no Jeff Meyers in the directory (my
name), there was a James
Meyer from Wisconsin, whose name I paused by.

Walking past the Washingon monument, one
comes across the Smithsonian Museums, and the castle
which houses the Institution itself.

If you ever arrive at the Air
and Space Museum after closing, use the premise that you are
there to see the Imax movie. This stays open an hour later than
the museum itself, but is housed in with everything else.
Also in this area is the I.M. Pei designed National Gallery of
Art (East Bldg.). Aside from the large glass enclosed main entry
way (which was unfortunately closed), the sharp
angular side of the building is its most prominent feature.

Finally passing the museums one arrives at the Capitol.
This is really a lovely building,
these legislators aren't sweating it out in any dingy
federal shack.

During the tour a helicopter flew
overhead and landed on the South Lawn of the White House.
Never found out if Bubba was aboard.